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Situation and Background

Help-for-self-help project in northern Mozambique
- From education to self-determined life -
Salvador Joao helps people of his home by his personal experience

Background

Salvador Joao was born on January 02, 1956 in Melomba, Cuamba district-Niassa Province, in the north of Mozambique as the 9th child of 11 siblings of his father, an angelican evangelist. Cuamba has about 75,000 inhabitants.

The daily path in the first four years was 15 km for a stretch. He spent the 5th and 6th class in the Catholic Mission School and attended grade 7, the State Gymnasium in Lichiuga - capital of the province of Niassa. He graduated from the High School and began his studies as a teacher. The study was terminated because of the demand in the area economy and agriculture was needed in Mozambique and held the training in the former GDR.

Initially, he trained as a fruit growing master and studied in connection to the Karl Marx University in Leipzig Zchortau-Delian economy, but that he could not finish.

Since five German aid workers from the former GDR were killed by rebels and at the same time the mocambiquan government was in need for trained agricultural technicians, he traveled back to Mozambique. In 1985 he was employed in the district Mecula Niassa Province as director. Due to the civil war, life there had become very dangerous. So he decided to travel to West Germany in order to apply for asylum at that time. He lived almost three years in Marburg and met there a Protestant pastor who became a conversation partner and friend.

In 1988 Salvador Joao studied in Göttingen one semester theology and moved to Marburg for the study of economics. During the semester break, he worked as a fruit growing master in the well-known fruit juice company Jacobi in Auggen, Markgräflerland near Freiburg. During this time he met his wife and has now five children.

Salvador Joao was fortunate that his father allowed him an education in order to give his life a positive direction. In 2001 Salvador Joao promoted the first children financially and conceptually in Cuamba, to also give them the chance of a positive life. Simple people have no money in Mocambique no chance to give their children a good education. After the first four years of primary education school ends and these children spend their lives in great dependence and usually remain illiterate.

The following funding was privately spent by Salvador Joao:
  • 11 schoolchildren be encouraged since 2001
  •   1 Young is a qualified teacher in Cuamba, Northern Mozambique
  •   1 Young studied agricultural engineering at the Catholic University of Cuamba and Engineering
  •   1 Young studied computer science at the State University of Cuamba metallic and has a doctorate in connection
  •   6 children are now in the 9th grade of the State metallic Mecanhelas boarding school until 12th grade
  •   3 children attend the 6th class of the State metallic Mitucue boarding school until 12th grade

Many other parents have requested Mr. Joao to support their children. However, this exceeds his personal commitment and had to limit the aids.

The children have to spend it all yourself:

  • Cost of boarding
  • School fees
  • Clothing
  • School supplies

Salvador Joao himself grew up in this area and knows personally the tough conditions. He has two confidants, Eduardo Jaessa (Youth Welfare Office) and Pastor Anselmo (pastors) who run since 2001 the project site and lead.

The objective is now the previously private commitment to provide a broad and sustainable basis.